The Misery of Uchiha Itachi
by itaitach4n
Summary: A newly appointed ANBU member, Uchiha Itachi learns the truth to becoming a great ninja. Sacrifice and misery lay before the young Uchiha as he battles inner demons to make everyone proud. Itachi Centric.
1. A Sealed Scroll of Sadness

Itachi can perfectly recall the day that it was announced that the oldest heir to the Uchiha clan would become a member of the ANBU. It was an overcast day, quite unlike the weeks leading up to it. It had been sunny and warm, just in time for Itachi's birthday. But that day Itachi received the sealed scroll from the hokage, there was a bitter cold in air that was so bizarre in mid-June. The scroll came by hawk, and when the bird landed and called out, everyone paused to see what news it brought. Fugaku, Itachi and Sasuke's father and leader of the Uchiha clan pulled the scroll from the bird before lifting said bird into the air, giving flight. Fugaku's eyes widened for a moment when he saw the scroll addressed to his eldest, Itachi. By this time, most of the clan had gathered. It wasn't every day the hokage sent a hawk to someone, let alone a hawk carrying a sealed scroll. Sealed scrolls were almost never a good sign, and Fugaku reluctantly handed it over to Itachi. Itachi, graceful as ever, took center stage and unsealed the scroll. He would never admit this to anyone, other than Sasuke, but he was nervous. His eyes fell upon the scroll and within moments, he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. Fugaku questioned Itachi about it, Itachi simply handed the scroll over. In a booming voice Fugaku read the scroll aloud.

_Uchiha Itachi_

_It brings me and the entire village much joy to appoint you a member of the elite ANBU. With this, many responsibilities and hardships lay before you. But, the village and I are extremely confident to award you such a position. A welcome ceremony is scheduled August 10__th__. Please invite your family and friends to attend the ceremony. Welcome to the ANBU._

A roar of happiness erupted from the crowd of Uchiha's. Fugaku grabbed hold of his eldest son's shoulders and whispered with tears in his eyes;

"I am so proud of you."

This was the worst day of Uchiha Itachi's life.


	2. Dango of the Damned

Okay, so I should have mentioned this in the first chapter.. Oh well. This idea has been floating around in my head for a while. I'm not too sure what will unfold, but there are certain ideas that I plan to bring to life. This is a bit of a dark story, without any pairings. I am just telling the story of Itachi the way I imagined it to be. :)

* * *

The day of the ceremony held the same chill in the air that had been present the day of the sealed scroll. It was completely bizarre. Itachi felt pride was over his narrow frame as Mikoto, his kind mother, brushed his hair.

"We are so proud of you." She said with tears in her gentle eyes.

Itachi had been hearing this from everyone lately, and he couldn't help but feel pride for himself. He was Uchiha Itachi, the youngest member of ANBU ever. At thirteen years of age, Itachi stood to his mother's shoulders. He was thin, and not very muscular. His face was pretty yet handsome. He had inky black hair that framed his pale face. His silky hair was almost always pulled into a low ponytail that ran down his back. His cheeks were the lightest shade of pink. His eyes were a deep onyx that smoldered at anything they fell on.

When Mikoto finished brushing her eldest son's hair, she pulled it into its normal low ponytail. Itachi turned toward his mother and smiled his gentle smile. Mikoto smiled back. And for a moment it was so peaceful. Mother and son looking back at each other with nothing but love in their eyes. Love and pride.

Fugaku came to the door, looking in before announcing that they would be leaving.

The proud Uchiha family walked in mostly silence towards the village. Several years had passed since the Uchiha's had been moved to the outskirts of the village. The walk was long, but the company was nice. Sasuke walked in stride with Itachi, looking up at him with dazzling eyes.

Sasuke was completely infatuated with his older brother. There wasn't a person in the world that rivaled Itachi, in Sasuke's mind. He was beaming with pride as he walked with his brother. He gave everyone they passed a smile that said "THIS IS MY BROTHER! HE IS AN ANBU MEMBER!"

At the ceremony, Itachi was greeted personally by the hokage himself.

"Thank you for your consideration. Thank you for this opportunity." Itachi said, bowing with grace.

The hokage shook his head, before bowing to Itachi.

"Thank you."

There were two other ninja who were joining the ANBU that day. Both men were well into their thirties and looked bewildered when Itachi took his place next to them on stage. The hokage broke the roar of voices with a short speech on what it means to be a ninja. How ninja of their caliber were rare and how honored and lucky the village was to appoint these three to ANBU status.

Itachi beamed with pride. He stood to about the chest of both men. He was small in stature, and could sense their disbelief in him. Itachi ignored them and looked out to his family. Most of the clan had showed up to see Itachi. His mother held her hands clasped together with tears in her eyes. She smiled when their eyes met, but that smiled seemed so… sad. Itachi's eyes then fell to Fugaku who had a smile on his tired face. He looked at Itachi with eyes filled with pride, but for a moment Itachi could have sworn that something else flickered in those deep black eyes. Sasuke was nearly jumping up and down and as soon as the hokage called Itachi up to receive his ANBU mask, Sasuke yelped with glee.

Itachi was fittingly given a weasel mask. He smiled at the hokage who explained to the crowed that Itachi was the youngest ANBU ever, but his skills proved to be so advanced that they were confident in him. The old man let the crowd cheer and turned to the boy.

"You are a true ninja, I can see it." He said before giving the Uchiha a pat on his narrow back.

Once the ceremony ended Mikoto suggested that they celebrate by getting dango at Itachi's favorite tea shop. Fugaku agreed. As the family of four walked, Itachi sensed something strange about his parents. Even the rest of his family seemed a little uncomfortable when they congratulated him after the ceremony concluded. Itachi remained silent as Sasuke bounded by him yelping and smiling about the day's events.

"I want to be just like you!"

In the tea shop, Itachi noticed that his mother and father were definitely acting strange. Fugaku kept turning to Mikoto and saying things under his breath. It was hard to remain silent, but Itachi didn't want to worry Sasuke for nothing. After they had finished their meal, the family walked silently back to the compound. Sasuke remained loud though. He hung on Itachi's arm, begging for Itachi to train him.

Once the family neared home, Mikoto hung back, urging Sasuke to go forward and play with Fugaku. Sasuke happily obliged, racing up to his father.

"We are so incredibly proud of you." Mikoto said, reaching for her sons pale hand.

Itachi held his mother's hand, and looked soulfully into her eyes.

"Is everything… okay?"

Mikoto's expression dropped for a moment before she smiled brightly at her son.

"Of course."

Itachi accepted that. He knew it was a lie, but he didn't want to press it. He wanted to continue to live in a world where his perfect, proud family was just as perfect and proud as he imagined. Itachi smiled at his mother and the two followed Sasuke and Fugaku into the house.


	3. Tattoo

The next morning brought rain. It rained so damn hard, that it put Itachi in a weird mood. This was the day that he would meet up with another member of the ANBU and receive his official ANBU tattoo. Itachi stood awkwardly in his room, as the rain drowned out any background noise. He stared at himself in the mirror. He was, by definition, an Uchiha. Lean and pale. Dark, inky hair pulled into his usual ponytail. Itachi fumbled with his hair tie when a knock on the front door interrupted his thoughts.

Itachi exited his room and headed towards the door. He came around the corner to see his father looking not-too-pleased. Itachi bowed to his father and turned his attention to the man whom had knocked on their door.

Hatake Kakashi.

Itachi bowed deeply to the man before him, and sensed his father stiffen. Kakashi was definitely not popular around the compound. Though it was known that Obito had given his Sharingan to Kakashi, many Uchihas believed that Kakashi was a bloodline stealer.

"Hello, Itachi. It was been quite a while." The masked man said with a smile.

Itachi felt a blush form across his pale cheeks. True, it had been sometime. The last time he saw Kakashi, the masked man had brought news of Obitio's death. It wasn't a happy time. Itachi felt the familiar pain in his chest as he thought of his beloved dead cousin.

"Well, we better get going." Kakashi said, turning his back to Itachi and Fugaku. Kakashi slid on his ANBU mask, which was a fox.

Itachi nodded, before turning to his father. Fugaku's stance was aggressive, his eyes narrowed at Kakashi. After a moment, he realized Itachi was looking at him. He turned to his son, placing both his hands on Itachi's shoulders and pressed his forehead to Itachi's.

"We are so proud of you."

Kakashi and Itachi walked in silence. Kakashi still wore the fox mask and Itachi couldn't help and notice how intricate the design on the mask was.

"Are you excited?" Kakashi asked, breaking the ocean of silence.

Itachi looked straight ahead, for some reason he felt a blush fall upon his cheeks.

"Yes."

Kakashi looked at the teen next to him. He smiled through the mask and led the teen to the official ANBU headquarters.

The ANBU headquarters was hidden beyond the mountains that framed the Hokage's mansion. It was a well-lit facility, with pale blue walls. It was cold upon entering, and Itachi couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through his body. Kakashi noticed and wrapped a protective arm around the teen. Itachi, stunned by the action, did nothing to push Kakashi away.

"This way." Kakashi breathed.

Kakashi led Itachi by the hips toward a room with a red door. Kakashi knocked four times, and the door flew open revealing two men cloaked in ANBU masks.

"Uchiha Itachi, welcome to the ANBU." One of the men said, gesturing for Itachi and Kakashi to enter.

The room was small, and in the middle stood two chairs. One of the men took a seat and patted the chair next to him.

"Time for your tattoo." Kakashi said, removing his arm from Itachi.

Itachi nodded and took his seat next to the masked man.

"Roll up you shirt sleeve, please."

Itachi did as he was told. Within moments the man issued Itachi his tattoo. It stung and felt uncomfortable, but Itachi didn't fidget at all. Once it was completed, Itachi was instructed to follow Kakashi down to get further information from the hokage himself.

Since the morning walk, Kakashi had been bolder with his advances on Itachi. Nothing was crossing lines, but Itachi wasn't use to the way Kakashi's arm would snake around his waist and the shiver his words gave him when he whispered in his ear. Kakashi acted as though this was completely normal behavior as he led Itachi to the hokage office. Itachi felt almost helpless, but his mind swirled on one goal, keeping his family proud.


	4. Fearful Future

Itachi worked diligently as an ANBU member for the next couple of weeks. He was formal and polite and had grown incredibly popular amongst the ANBU. The hokage made personal visits to Itachi and his family often, just to stress to Itachi and his family how valuable he was.

Itachi was proud. His parents were proud. Sasuke was proud.

But, the better Itachi did, the more strange his parents acted. Mikoto had developed dark bags under her eyes. She still possessed the happy and caring charm she always had, but there was dullness in her eyes that Itachi couldn't ignore. Fugaku on the other hand grew deeper wrinkles on his once smooth forehead. His parents we worried and stressed about something.

Itachi decided not to acknowledge this though. He pretended that it was just in his mind, and he didn't want to worry Sasuke.

It was the dead of winter when Sasuke knocked softly on Itachi's door.

"Niisan, want to hang out?" Sasuke said through the door.

Itachi smiled, setting his book of ninjutsu down to answer his door.

"Sure, Sasuke. What do you want to talk about?"

Sasuke scampered past Itachi and flopped down on Itachi's bed.

"What's it like to be an ANBU?" Sasuke questioned with dazzling eyes.

Itachi chuckled.

"A lot of hard work."

"Do you like it?"

Itachi smiled.

"Yeah, I mean, I like working for the village and maintaining the peace."

"You do that stuff?"

"Well, of course."

"Do you kill people?"

Itachi frowned at that. Yes, he sure did kill people. Less than 16 hours ago, he had slit the throat of a potential terrorist to the village. The image of that man's twisted face staring back at him as he drew the sharpened blade across his neck would remain in his mind for his whole life. But, it wasn't the first person Itachi had killed. He remembered every face of every human he had ever killed. Itachi paled slightly.

"Oh, Sasuke. You don't want to know that."

Sasuke pouted, but accepted Itachi's response. The two brothers spoke quietly to each other deep into the night until Sasuke fell asleep on Itachi's bed. Itachi yawned and decided that he should get some rest. He padded quietly to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He passed the living room where he heard slight mummers. Itachi paused. It was incredibly late at night. Why on Earth would his parents be talking at this time of night?

Itachi stepped closer to the entrance way and tried to listen to what they were saying. Silence. Itachi knew he had been discovered. He backed away slowly, hoping to creep away…

"Itachi?"

Itachi flinched at the sound of his name. He immediately froze and held his breath as he heard movement come from the room. His mother appeared in the doorway with a look of concern.

"Is everything okay?" She asked slowly.

"I could as the same thing to you…"

Mikoto looked uncomfortable as Fugaku stepped up beside her.

"Itachi," Fugaku said rubbing the bridge of his nose. "We've been meaning to speak to you. Please come talk with us."

Itachi's heart was pounding as he followed his parents into the living room. He took his seat across from his parents and kept silent as his parents exchanged nervous glances.

"Itachi… It's hard for us to tell you this, but we have been meaning to tell you several things." Fugaku began looking straight at his son.

Itachi nodded.

"Itachi, I am sure you know about Uchiha Madara and what his actions did to affect the clan."

Itachi nodded again. Uchiha Madara had somewhat shamed the Uchiha, but that had been years ago. Why was it relevant now?

"He left a scar on the clan that to this day we have not been able to remove. The village praises the Uchiha, but those in charge have their doubts about us. They have spoken amongst themselves about how we cannot be trusted. Because of their doubt, the Uchiha was forced to move from the center of the village to the outskirts. The outskirts are less protected, and it has been proven time and time again how unsafe it is out here. Konaha has many enemies."

Itachi nodded as he recalled many times enemies had infiltrated the compound and had killed fellow family members. The Uchiha were strong, but during times of crisis it seemed that the Uchiha's were always targeted. Itachi had never considered that it was due to their location. Itachi had personally experienced the dangers of the Uchiha compound location.

"The Uchiha are getting tired of Konaha and their treatment of us…" Fugaku looked at Mikoto. Her face was pale and her eyes were sad. She refused to meet Itachi's gaze. Fugaku turned to look at his son. Thirteen years old. Itachi looked so frail. So young. Fugaku closed his eye then stood up.

"Itachi, there is a clan meeting tomorrow night. I want you there."

Itachi nodded feeling a sense of panic fall over him. He stayed sitting as his mother and father left. Mikoto paused in the doorway, looking back at Itachi.

"We are so proud of you." She whispered.


	5. Meeting of the Mad

Short, but I'll make up for it with a longer chapter. ALSO: If you read my other stories, I have hinted to the fact that Itachi was abducted as a child. I plan on writing that story in the future. But, it is a recurring theme in my stories.

* * *

The night of the clan meeting was soon upon Itachi. He stood in his room, looking at his reflection in a mirror. He couldn't stop trembling as he stared into his own eyes.

_What was this meeting about?_

_Is this why mother and father have been acting so strange?_

Itachi rubbed his tired eyes. He hadn't slept at all, and now he was expected to go to this meeting. He sighed. His mind was racing and he couldn't stop from shaking. He walked around his room, desperately trying to think of the reason behind this meeting. Suddenly a knock on the door.

"Come in." Itachi said quietly, taking a seat on his bed.

Mikoto rolled the door open and entered, closing it behind her.

"I am just putting Sasuke to bed, and then we will leave." She said softly.

Itachi nodded, refusing to meet her gaze. Mikoto looked at her feet, feeling increasingly guilty. A burden of unimaginable weight was about to be placed on her son's shoulders. As a mother, she wanted to protect her little boy from everything. But, it was unavoidable. She smiled at Itachi.

"Don't forget how proud we are of you."

Mikoto then put Sasuke to bed and the three left for the meeting. They walked in silence, Fugaku leading, while Mikoto and Itachi walked together behind him. No words were exchanged. Mikoto and Fugaku appeared nervous and uneasy as the neared the meeting place, while Itachi had lost all color to his face.

The meeting place was a big building near the center of the compound. Being the head family, Fugaku, Mikoto and Itachi lived quite close. The building was large and clean. There were several windows that had their drapes drawn. The Uchiha symbol stood with dignity on every door to the building. Fugaku opened the door, letting his wife and son enter before him. Inside, the building was dark, save for the torches that had been lit. Itachi was surprised to see his entire family here. Several members of his family looked surprised to see him as Itachi followed his mother and father to the front of the assembly.

Mikoto and Itachi took their seats, as Fugaku turned to face the clan.

"Fellow Uchiha's! Tonight we are joined by my prodigy of a son, Uchiha Itachi."

The clan clapped and hollered at this, making Itachi blush.

"We are all so proud of his recent promotion to ANBU. He is an excellent ninja indeed."

Itachi smiled at his family as they continued to cheer for him.

"But, it isn't all good news. The clan has continued to face indifference from the elders."

Itachi suddenly felt scared. His father appeared to be preaching about how unjust and unfair the village was towards them.

"We work hard for the village, and yet they still treat us like we are the enemy. If Konaha wants and enemy, we will give them one."

Itachi shut his eyes. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't be hearing this. Fugaku turned to look at his son. Itachi had his eyes shut, and his face was white as a sheet. Fugaku felt his heart strings pull.

"Itachi will act as a spy for us. He is close to the village, and he can gather information."

Itachi nearly fainted. How could his father expect that of him? The clan erupted in a mixture of angry remarks towards the village, and happiness towards Itachi. Fugaku turned to his son and put his arms on his shoulders.

"Itachi, we need you to do this for us. For your family. Konaha has ostracized us and we can't take it anymore. Their thoughtfulness led to your abduction all those years ago."

Itachi flinched at the memory. When Itachi was four, he was kidnapped during the war, and held hostage against the Leaf. Apparently, the elders did not want many search and rescue teams going after him. Itachi would have been a goner if the fourth Hokage himself hadn't gone out and saved him. Itachi would never forget what he saw those couple days he was kidnapped. He shuddered.

"We don't want anyone to feel the way we felt when we thought we had lost you."

Itachi tried to convince himself that his father was right. The village put the Uchiha's in danger by banishing them to the outskirts of the village. Right?

"You can make us so proud." Fugaku said.

Itachi nodded.

"Yes, father."


	6. An Impossible Choice

;)

* * *

Uchiha Itachi began to spy on the village. Though it quickly led him to a dead end. It was almost as though the village knew he was a spy. He was dismissed from ANBU meetings, and a lot of information wasn't passed on to him. This hurt the young Uchiha. He hated feeling like a criminal in his own village. He pleaded with his father and the other elders of the Uchiha clan to reconsider, but they insisted that he feed them information, even if there was no information to be fed.

Itachi's popularity among the ANBU never faltered. They believed he was the best around, but Itachi could sense that his family was growing irritated with his lack of information. Many of Itachi's cousins complained to Fugaku, claiming that Itachi was betraying them and holding information. Itachi didn't bother denying these allegations. It was possible that he subconsciously was withholding information. But, he wasn't.

The Third and the elders had become aware of the possibility of an uprising of the Uchiha clan. They sat around a table all with faces full of sorrow.

"The threat of a revolution is emanate." Homura said, resting his elbows on the table.

"I agree, something must be done, and done quickly." Replied Koharu looking right at the Third.

The hokage sighed, rubbing his forehead. They had several spies, spying on the Uchiha clan, but they hadn't obtained any information that could incriminate them. So far, just rumors.

"We need a better spy, is what we need." Spat Danzo. He glared at the council in disgust.

"We have several spies deployed to gather information about the clan, but as you know, the clan is extremely loyal. Any information we have is basically public knowledge." Koharu sighed.

Danzo laughed unexpectedly.

"A spy from within." He said once his laughed died.

The council looked at one another.

"Danzo wasn't it clear that the Uchiha are loyal to one another. We would never obtain a spy from within." Homura said slowly.

Danzo waved a hand in the air, dismissing the comment. He then looked straight at the Third. The Third knew who Danzo was thinking of, and it pained the hokage to think of a child as young as he involved in something like this. The hokage shook his head. Danzo ignored him and turned to face the other two.

"Uchiha Itachi." He muttered.

Homura and Koharu exchanged uncomfortable looks.

"The leader of the Uchiha clan's son? The heir to the clan?" Koharu said in disbelief.

Danzo nodded his head with a smirk.

"Itachi is a pacifist since he was abducted as a child. We can play on that need to keep violence away."

Again, Homura and Koharu looked uncomfortable. They liked the Uchiha. He was well spoken and bright. But, he couldn't be trusted with vital information. It was true that Itachi preferred to deal with things without violence. They glanced at the hokage, who was obviously upset with Danzo.

"There is no way we are going to use Itachi in such a manner. He has proven to be loyal to the village. I don't believe he is a spy at all." The Third said.

"You said it; he is loyal to the village. Plus, he'd like to avoid a war. He is the perfect person to do a little spying. If we can protect the village, like we are supposed to, then we should act on this." Danzo fired back.

The Third sank into his seat. It made sense. He knew just how much Itachi hated war. If they explained to the child that he could help prevent a war…

"I think we should order him to spy on the clan, and report back to us." Homura said after a moment of silence.

Koharu nodded in agreement. The Third couldn't help see how plausible Danzo's idea was. He sighed.

"Bring in Uchiha Itachi."

* * *

Sasuke had just settled down within a field of flowers with his brother when he felt uneasy. He sat very still, listening to Itachi who had dozed off leaning against a tree. He had been on several missions over the past month, this was his first day off in what felt like Sasuke forever. Sasuke watched his brother sleep so peacefully. He didn't seem bothered at all by the sudden chill in the air. Sasuke looked towards the village. He felt strange, like something bad was on the horizon. Sasuke ignored the feeling, and began weaving a crown of daisies. Once he finished he placed it carefully on Itachi's head, trying not to wake him. It didn't work. Itachi's dark eyes fluttered open, once the crown was placed on his head. He reached up, gently feeling the crown.

'Did you make this for me?" He said with a smile.

Sasuke blushed wildly and smiled.

"Yes! Do you like it!?"

Itachi smiled at his brother when he noticed a figure approaching them. Itachi stood to greet the man, sighing in relief when he realized it was Kakashi.

"The council would like to speak with you." Kakashi's words felt cold as the slipped from his lips.

Itachi couldn't help but feel his mouth hang open. The only explanation as to why they wanted to see him would be because they found out about his spying. Itachi looked back at Sasuke who immediately sensed Itachi's uneasiness.

"O-okay." Itachi replied.

He turned to his little brother, kneeling down to his level.

"Kakashi is going to take you home, okay?"

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked, tears filling his eyes.

"Nothing. Now go." He gave Sasuke a pat on the back and stood up.

Kakashi gave Itachi a concerned look. He wasn't given the details of why he was sent to find Itachi; all he knew is that the council seemed very upset. Itachi gave Kakashi a weak smile, and then headed towards the Hokage mansion.

* * *

"Itachi please, take a seat." The Third said, gesturing to the open seat across from the council.

Itachi fidgeted awkwardly as he took a seat. The eyes of the council followed him carefully as he took his seat.

"Itachi, as a member of the Uchiha clan and a Konaha ninja, we must ask you to fulfill you obligation to protect your home. Revolution is dawning upon your clan, and with it brings many risks. The village needs you to help maintain the peace." The Third paused and looked sadly at the child.

"We need to know where your alliance lies." Homura cut in.

Itachi's heat was pounding.

"I am loyal to the Leaf." He mumbled, suddenly aware that he was still wearing the crown of daisies. He slowly pulled the crown off his head, face turning a bright shade of pink.

Danzo smirked looking at the boy.

"Itachi… We know what your clan is planning."

Itachi paled. He was caught. He closed his eyes tightly.

"We want to avoid an all-out war."

"War?"

The Third nodded.

"If the Uchiha rebel, it opens the entire village up to being attacked. We will be weakened. We need you to help us stop it."

Itachi lowered his eyes; suddenly his head was hurting so much.

"We need you to provide us with information. Anything can help."

Itachi tried to slow his breathing, but it was useless. His face had gone white as a sheet and his heart was pounding so heard. He looked up at the council and sighed. He didn't want a war; he didn't want Sasuke to see what he saw. He didn't want anyone to experience war like he did. But, his family… Itachi felt sick.

"Itachi, it really is on your shoulders whether this war happens or not." Danzo muttered.

The Third turned and glared at Danzo, but remained silent. Itachi rubbed his head, tears threatened to come flooding down his face, but he controlled it. His mind spun, but he knew what he was going to do. He looked at the council, killing the last bit of emotion in his heart. He sighed, sitting up straight.

"The clan is planning a revolution, I will tell you what I know..."


End file.
